Secret Dawn

Kelly L. Green is the Secretary of the Ontario Federation of Teaching
Parents, the past editor of CBRA’s Children’s Literature edition,
and the past president of the Toronto & District Parent Co-operative
Preschool Corporation.

Early in the morning, before anyone wakes, a little girl creeps out of
bed and runs to her secret place in a willow tree, where she can be
alone, think, and write. This journey is described for us in Edith
Newlin Chase’s lovely rhyming verse, and through Yolaine Lefebvre’s
pastel, wet-on-wet watercolors, which flood the pages with melting
color.

Chase’s earlier books (Waters and The New Baby Calf) have universal
appeal for young children. Secret Dawn, which is equally beautiful, will
appeal especially to introspective, artistic children of a certain
age—not unlike the young protagonist. It describes the secret feelings
of a little girl, old enough to go out by herself and sit in a tree and
write, but young enough to appreciate elegantly written, artistically
rendered picture books like this one. Highly recommended.